SC to Hear Italian Marine Latorre's Plea Seeking Stay Extension Today

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre's plea seeking extension to his stay in Italy.

Salvatore Girone (L) and Latorre Massimiliano read newspapers at a guest house in Kochi/File photo/Reuters

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday will hear Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre's plea seeking extension to his stay in Italy.

Latorre is one of the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012 during an anti-piracy mission on an Italian oil tanker. He is presently in his home country on medical grounds after he suffered heart stroke in 2014.

The other accused in the case, Salvatore Girone, is already in Italy after being allowed by the apex court in September 2014 to return home. He was allowed to return on 'humanitarian grounds'.

In 2016, the apex court had, earlier, ordered that Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, accused of killing two Indian fishermen, will continue to stay in Italy until the disposal of their pleas in the arbitration court.

The apex court passed the order after hearing from all the respondents including the Kerala government, the marines and the representatives of the fishermen.

"Having considered submissions of the parties subject to conditions the Italian marine Salvatore Girone's bail conditions are modified. An undertaking by the Italian Ambassador shall be filed in the Supreme Court saying that he shall return to India within a month of the tribunal's order holding the Indian government has jurisdiction," a vacation bench of Justices PC Pant and DY Chandrachud had said,

As per the earlier order of the court, the relief granted to Latorre to stay in Italy expires on September 30, 2016.On September 8, 2016, Latorre had moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension of his stay in Italy till the end of his arbitration.

Latorre has expressed his desire to stay in Italy till international arbitration tribunal decides over which country has the right to try the case.